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Funds Urged for Sierra Leone Court
July 24, 2001
Sierra Leone: Most Serious Attacks in Months
July 24, 2001
Human Rights Watch Interviews: Victims and Witnesses
July 24, 2001
No "Safe Passage" Through Rebel-Held Sierra Leone
April 3, 2001
Rebel Abuses Against Sierra Leonean Refugees Returning from Guinea
Human Rights Watch Testimonies, April 2001
Sexual Violence within the Sierra Leone Conflict
February 2001
Sierra Leone: Justice and the Special Court (November 1, 2000)
"If the Sierra Leone Special Court is not given jurisdication over crimes commited during the entire war, justice cannot be served for the people of Sierra Leone. The bottom line is that perpetrators of atrocities committed bewteen 1991 and 1996 will never be tried."
Sierra Leone: Pressing Human Rights Concerns
Human Rights Watch Letter / Briefing for Ambassador Greenstock, Ocotber 4, 2000
Sierra Leone: Justice Imperative (Letter to Kofi Annan, August 16, 2000)
Human Rights Watch believes that the effectiveness of this justice effort will to a significant degree be determined by the framework for the court to be proposed by the team of experts.
U.N. Action on Sierra Leone Court Welcomed (August 14, 2000)
"Security Council support for this court may finally bring some justice for Sierra Leone's long-suffering civilians. But this court must not stop at prosecuting one man or faction. Diplomats keep talking about the ‘Sankoh resolution,' as if rebel leader Foday Sankoh were the only one responsible for the widespread war crimes in Sierra Leone."
International Injustice: The Tragedy of Sierra Leone
by Kenneth Roth (Published on August 2, 2000 in the Wall Street Journal Europe)
Can Sierra Leone escape its hellish cycle of mutilation, rape and murder? The answer lies with the United Nations Security Council, which is meeting this week to consider how to set up a war crimes tribunal for this ravaged African country. More..
Sierra Leone Government Bombing Causes Civilian Deaths (July 11 2000)
"It is unacceptable for the Sierra Leone government to start dropping bombs on a crowded market place in the hope of hitting a small number of rebels. The pro-government forces in Sierra Leone need to do more to minimize the impact of their military actions on the civilian population."
Decisive U.N. Action on Sierra Leone Urged (June 20)
"The U.N. must set up a credible, even-handed, and well-funded court to bring to justice the perpetrators of atrocities in Sierra Leone."
New Testimony of Rape Committed by Sierra Leone Rebels (June 5)
"Women in RUF-controlled areas are at constant risk of being abducted and raped."
Sierra Leone Rebels Forcefully Recruit Child Soldiers (May 31)
For child soldiers, the crisis in Sierra Leone is far from over.
Sierra Leone: Fresh Reports of RUF Terror Tactics (May 26)
These fresh reports of RUF atrocities underscore the need for the international community to make protection of civilians its first priority in Sierra Leone. U.N. forces must aim to expand the circle of protection beyond Freetown as soon as possible.
U.K. Arms May Go to Abusive Forces in Sierra Leone (May 25)
Human Rights Watch is very concerned that British-supplied weapons may be made available to government-allied groups known to have committed gross human rights abuses. We are also gravely concerned about recent credible reports that child soldiers are being re-recruited and may as such be the recipients of some of these arms.
Sierra Leone: Expedited UN Criminal Tribunal Urged (May 19)
"The Security Council should use the current crisis and the apprehension of Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader Foday Sankoh to begin the overdue process of holding RUF leaders and others accountable for the atrocities they have committed."
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Arms Embargo on Sierra Leone Rebels Neglected
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Arms Embargo on Sierra Leone Rebels Neglected (May 15)
"The crisis in Sierra Leone can't be solved without addressing the question of weapons supply for the rebels."
More Press Releases
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Sierra Leone's nine year conflict has been characterized by unspeakable brutality. International war crimes of the worst type were routinely and systematically committed against Sierra Leoneans of all ages. The suffering inflicted upon the civilian population has been profound. While all sides committed human rights violations, rebel forces were responsible for the overwhelming majority.
Many of these abuses, unfortunately, continue to occur.
Sierra Leone's human rights emergency provoked wide condemnation from the international community and served to galvanize diplomatic efforts to bring about a negotiated solution to the eight-year civil war. The U.N., ECOWAS, and OAU, directly facilitated the Lomé peace agreement, which was also unofficially supported by the British, American, and Nigerian governments. The willingness of all international parties to the accord to accept the inclusion of a general amnesty and in sharp contrast with the standards of justice enforced in other conflicts, such as Kosovo and East Timor.
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